$160M budget plan also hikes spending to spare most services

Published 8:25 pm, Thursday, May 8, 2014

The district's 2014-15 budget goes to voters on May 20. It would raise spending by $3.37 million, or 2.15 percent, and increase the tax levy by a projected 1.89 percent. The increase would cost the owner of a property assessed at $250,000 an average of $61, the district said.

The budget calls for adding nearly nine jobs — 5.8 instructional positions and three non-instructional jobs. The new employees would help reduce class sizes and provide more counseling services in the middle school, expand career readiness courses in the high school and bolster academic intervention and security.

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The district would pay for the plan through $113.5 million in property taxes, $41 million in state aid and the rest from tuition, admissions and the district fund balance. Shenendehowa budgeted for a 4.47 percent increase in state aid over this year, and expects cost savings in employee health insurance costs and employee retirements.

"These reduced costs provide the district with an opportunity to invest in some program enhancements," the district wrote in a newsletter.

Opening student enrollment at Shenendehowa peaked in 2008 at 9,869 and dropped to 9,778 in 2012. There are now 9,782 students attending Shenenedehowa schools. The district employs about 1,800 people.

Costs related to instruction, transportation and employee benefits account for 76 percent of budget expenditures. The district's capital budget makes up for 14.38 percent of costs, and administration costs, 9.63 percent. Superintendent L. Oliver Robinson is expected to earn $194,406 next year, the district said. It has four assistant superintendents who focus on human resources, management services and quality control, finance and operations and curriculum instruction. They earn between $128,635 and $144,885.

Also on the ballot is a proposition to replace 19 school buses and the election of three board of education members. The district seeks up to $1,821,557 for the buses. State aid would cover 63 percent of the cost.

Four candidates are running for three seats on the school board. President Mary Blaauboer, incumbents Bill Casey and James Trainor and challenger Scott Johnson will appear on the ballot. The board had appointed Casey and Trainor to fill vacant seats belonging to Rick Mincher and Mary Wiggins, who both resigned due to personal reasons. Two of the available seats carry three-year terms. One seat is a two-year term.